diff --git a/src/compiler/commandLineParser.ts b/src/compiler/commandLineParser.ts
index 9a984b9a2f1..5d7c1bc1690 100644
--- a/src/compiler/commandLineParser.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/commandLineParser.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,17 @@ namespace ts {
             name: "diagnostics",
             type: "boolean",
         },
+        {
+            name: "diagnosticStyle",
+            paramType: Diagnostics.KIND,
+            description: Diagnostics.Specify_diagnostic_printing_style_Colon_simple_default_or_pretty,
+            type: {
+                "simple": DiagnosticStyle.Simple,
+                "pretty": DiagnosticStyle.Pretty,
+            },
+            error: Diagnostics.Argument_for_diagnosticStyle_must_be_simple_or_pretty,
+            experimental: true,
+        },
         {
             name: "emitBOM",
             type: "boolean"
diff --git a/src/compiler/diagnosticInformationMap.generated.ts b/src/compiler/diagnosticInformationMap.generated.ts
index 5ccc0a0db9b..4fdb2221762 100644
--- a/src/compiler/diagnosticInformationMap.generated.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/diagnosticInformationMap.generated.ts
@@ -567,6 +567,8 @@ namespace ts {
         Specifies_the_end_of_line_sequence_to_be_used_when_emitting_files_Colon_CRLF_dos_or_LF_unix: { code: 6060, category: DiagnosticCategory.Message, key: "Specifies the end of line sequence to be used when emitting files: 'CRLF' (dos) or 'LF' (unix)." },
         NEWLINE: { code: 6061, category: DiagnosticCategory.Message, key: "NEWLINE" },
         Argument_for_newLine_option_must_be_CRLF_or_LF: { code: 6062, category: DiagnosticCategory.Error, key: "Argument for '--newLine' option must be 'CRLF' or 'LF'." },
+        Specify_diagnostic_printing_style_Colon_simple_default_or_pretty: { code: 6063, category: DiagnosticCategory.Message, key: "Specify diagnostic printing style: 'simple' (default) or 'pretty'." },
+        Argument_for_diagnosticStyle_must_be_simple_or_pretty: { code: 6064, category: DiagnosticCategory.Error, key: "Argument for '--diagnosticStyle' must be 'simple' or 'pretty'." },
         Specify_JSX_code_generation_Colon_preserve_or_react: { code: 6080, category: DiagnosticCategory.Message, key: "Specify JSX code generation: 'preserve' or 'react'" },
         Argument_for_jsx_must_be_preserve_or_react: { code: 6081, category: DiagnosticCategory.Message, key: "Argument for '--jsx' must be 'preserve' or 'react'." },
         Option_experimentalDecorators_must_also_be_specified_when_option_emitDecoratorMetadata_is_specified: { code: 6064, category: DiagnosticCategory.Error, key: "Option 'experimentalDecorators' must also be specified when option 'emitDecoratorMetadata' is specified." },
diff --git a/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json b/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
index e138e2ddac4..4a7280f5fda 100644
--- a/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
+++ b/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
@@ -2258,6 +2258,15 @@
         "category": "Error",
         "code": 6062
     },
+    "Specify diagnostic printing style: 'simple' (default) or 'pretty'.": {
+        "category": "Message",
+        "code": 6063
+    },
+    "Argument for '--diagnosticStyle' must be 'simple' or 'pretty'.": {
+        "category": "Error",
+        "code": 6064
+    },
+
     "Specify JSX code generation: 'preserve' or 'react'": {
         "category": "Message",
         "code": 6080
diff --git a/src/compiler/tsc.ts b/src/compiler/tsc.ts
index 10eddc41b7e..ae1a7cda220 100644
--- a/src/compiler/tsc.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/tsc.ts
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@ namespace ts {
         fileWatcher?: FileWatcher;
     }
 
-    const reportDiagnostic = sys.writesToTty && sys.writesToTty() ?
-            reportDiagnosticWithColorAndContext :
-            reportDiagnosticSimply;
+    export interface CompilerOptions {
+        diagnosticStyle?: DiagnosticStyle;
+    }
+
+    let reportDiagnostic = reportDiagnosticSimply;
 
     function reportDiagnostics(diagnostics: Diagnostic[]): void {
         for (let diagnostic of diagnostics) {
@@ -221,7 +223,7 @@ namespace ts {
 
         if (commandLine.options.locale) {
             if (!isJSONSupported()) {
-                reportDiagnosticSimply(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.The_current_host_does_not_support_the_0_option, "--locale"));
+                reportDiagnostic(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.The_current_host_does_not_support_the_0_option, "--locale"));
                 return sys.exit(ExitStatus.DiagnosticsPresent_OutputsSkipped);
             }
             validateLocaleAndSetLanguage(commandLine.options.locale, commandLine.errors);
@@ -235,7 +237,7 @@ namespace ts {
         }
 
         if (commandLine.options.version) {
-            reportDiagnosticSimply(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.Version_0, ts.version));
+            reportDiagnostic(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.Version_0, ts.version));
             return sys.exit(ExitStatus.Success);
         }
 
@@ -247,12 +249,12 @@ namespace ts {
 
         if (commandLine.options.project) {
             if (!isJSONSupported()) {
-                reportDiagnosticSimply(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.The_current_host_does_not_support_the_0_option, "--project"));
+                reportDiagnostic(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.The_current_host_does_not_support_the_0_option, "--project"));
                 return sys.exit(ExitStatus.DiagnosticsPresent_OutputsSkipped);
             }
             configFileName = normalizePath(combinePaths(commandLine.options.project, "tsconfig.json"));
             if (commandLine.fileNames.length !== 0) {
-                reportDiagnosticSimply(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.Option_project_cannot_be_mixed_with_source_files_on_a_command_line));
+                reportDiagnostic(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.Option_project_cannot_be_mixed_with_source_files_on_a_command_line));
                 return sys.exit(ExitStatus.DiagnosticsPresent_OutputsSkipped);
             }
         }
@@ -270,7 +272,7 @@ namespace ts {
         // Firefox has Object.prototype.watch
         if (commandLine.options.watch && commandLine.options.hasOwnProperty("watch")) {
             if (!sys.watchFile) {
-                reportDiagnosticSimply(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.The_current_host_does_not_support_the_0_option, "--watch"));
+                reportDiagnostic(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.The_current_host_does_not_support_the_0_option, "--watch"));
                 return sys.exit(ExitStatus.DiagnosticsPresent_OutputsSkipped);
             }
             if (configFileName) {
@@ -288,7 +290,7 @@ namespace ts {
 
                     let result = readConfigFile(configFileName);
                     if (result.error) {
-                        reportDiagnosticSimply(result.error);
+                        reportDiagnostic(result.error);
                         return sys.exit(ExitStatus.DiagnosticsPresent_OutputsSkipped);
                     }
 
@@ -310,6 +312,10 @@ namespace ts {
                 compilerHost.getSourceFile = getSourceFile;
             }
 
+            if (compilerOptions.diagnosticStyle === DiagnosticStyle.Pretty) {
+                reportDiagnostic = reportDiagnosticWithColorAndContext;
+            }
+
             let compileResult = compile(rootFileNames, compilerOptions, compilerHost);
 
             if (!compilerOptions.watch) {
@@ -317,7 +323,7 @@ namespace ts {
             }
 
             setCachedProgram(compileResult.program);
-            reportDiagnosticSimply(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.Compilation_complete_Watching_for_file_changes));
+            reportDiagnostic(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.Compilation_complete_Watching_for_file_changes));
         }
 
         function getSourceFile(fileName: string, languageVersion: ScriptTarget, onError?: (message: string) => void) {
@@ -379,7 +385,7 @@ namespace ts {
 
         function recompile() {
             timerHandle = undefined;
-            reportDiagnosticSimply(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.File_change_detected_Starting_incremental_compilation));
+            reportDiagnostic(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.File_change_detected_Starting_incremental_compilation));
             performCompilation();
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/compiler/types.ts b/src/compiler/types.ts
index 1338d19e1a7..01a791237ad 100644
--- a/src/compiler/types.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/types.ts
@@ -2094,6 +2094,12 @@ namespace ts {
         JSX
     }
 
+    /* @internal */
+    export const enum DiagnosticStyle {
+        Simple,
+        Pretty,
+    }
+
     export interface ParsedCommandLine {
         options: CompilerOptions;
         fileNames: string[];